The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (in French, Notre Dame de Paris) was a novel first published in 1831 by the French literary giant Victor Hugo.The enormous popularity of the novel in France spurred the nascent historical preservation movement in that country and strongly encouraged Gothic Revival architecture.
The title given in some English translations has led some people to believe the primary character of the drama was the hunchback, Quasimodo. However, this was not the author's intent. The author felt the primary character was Notre-Dame de Paris itself, the Cathedral. The human drama within the novel revolves around the gypsy Esmeralda, and which of several suitors she will choose.
The story has been adapted to the screen a number of times, including:
- 1923 starring Lon Chaney Jr as Quasimodo
- 1939 starring Charles Laughton
- 1982 starring Anthony Hopkins and Derek Jacobi
- 1996 as an animated film by Walt Disney Studios
